$50 gift card GIVEAWAY for a good cause!

I decided it's time for my first GIVEAWAY! The lucky winner will receive a $50 gift card to either Target or Starbucks (your choice). And if you have neither of those in your area, just tell me what you prefer. I'm very flexible :) I'm also going to throw in a gently read Beth Moore book - "So Long, Insecurity!" It is great!

Who doesn't love a good apron? Recently I purchased two of the cutest aprons. One for Avery, one for me! The best part? They match. Super adorable. I see many matching outfits in our future ;) I found them at this Etsy site: http://www.etsy.com/shop/happyasalark

This is not your typical Etsy site. Calley, and her husband Danny, have been led to adopt a child from Peru. As you know, this can be very expensive. But Calley is talented and creative and decided to make aprons to raise the money. This speaks to me in so many ways. She is not just hearing from God, but she is working hard to do His will. They know it will not be easy, but they realize sometimes God's will involves things outside of your comfort zone. Please pray about this and take a look at her adorable Etsy store. Calley is the kind of person that you glance at and immediately know something is different. She is so covered in His holy spirit, she literally shines. I don't know any other way to explain it. Danny is the pastor in the church I grew up in and he has a fire for God that I crave. They are two of the best people I know. Please pray for them as they go on this journey.

The contest starts right now and ends on August 31st. Here's how to win!

• Purchase an apron (or 2...or 3...or 4!) These make great Christmas and birthday gifts for all ages. 5 entries per apron.
• Share Calley's etsy site on Facebook or Twitter for 1 entry: http://www.etsy.com/shop/happyasalark  
• Blog about this giveaway for 2 entries.
• Remember to leave a comment letting me know what all you've done (no need to leave separate comments, I will enter your name on a spreadsheet for the number of entries you should have and use random.com to choose the number of the winner on 9/1).

Avery LOVES her new apron and asks to put it on every morning! She also wants me to put mine on. So sweet :)

Another design I love...

 

Wordless Wednesday - Summer Fun!

Vacation!

I told you pics were to come! Avery loved the beach. There weren't many people there, but we did have a nice, relaxing time. We chose a MS beach b/c the oil hadn't reached MS when we booked a few months ago. Turns out, the oil made it there too. I am so glad they finally got it capped. The condo was really nice though and we had a very nice time.

See...kinda looks like the MS river, huh?

I don't think Avery noticed!

We were promised by a worker w/ MS state that the darker sand was clay and had nothing to do w/ the oil.

View from the condo

Yeah, I'm a little behind...

...so I guess we'll just start here? Have I mentioned that I'm proud of my little brothers? Here is Josh...the valedictorian. No pics of Mark, shame on me, but he graduated w/ his bachelors degree from Tech! He will have an MBA soon too. And I used to think I was the smart one....ha!

Thank God Josh got reserved seats. We (me and Avery) literally walked in as graduation was starting (I know, shame on me!) Here is Avery trying to escape!

My Beach

Hi everyone! I always feel the need to greet you when I've been away for a while :)

We just returned from a relaxing week at the beach. It's back to the grind on Monday. I have a list of things to do but have been spending the afternoon rocking a sick little girl while reading blogs about much sicker babies. Those stories really put a stomach virus in perspective. Since I felt like I was in a blogging mood I thought I should type fast, before it passes.

Avery got to experience many firsts this week - first trip to the beach, first walk on the sand, first steps in the ocean, first family vacation, first waterpark, and her favorite - first gourmet filled cupcake. Oh yes, she is her mother's daughter! Her precious poppa and nonna drove a lot of miles searching for Frosting, but it was oh so worth it!

I am not much of a beach bum. Even during my skinny phase, I didn't want to go to the beach. The sand in my suitcase and the scratch of a sunburn just wasn't my thing. Since then, I have decided any beach w/ a Frosting nearby is good enough for me! Okay, I hope you realize that was a joke - hehehe! This year, I decided that sand and sunburn or not, it was time for Avery to see her beach. Yes, she did refer to it as "My Beach". She is just.that.special if you ask me! I haven't loaded or edited any of the beach pics, but there will be more of those to come.

We got home yesterday and Avery got sick in the middle of the night, I was really hoping we could blame it on Taco Bell, and feeling realllly guilty that I let her eat Taco Bell, but the sickness has continued today. I remember thinking before I had kids that there would be no way I would be okay w/ cleaning up "sickness" in the middle of the night. I thought I would make my husband do it. HA! But something strange happens in your heart, holding that baby in the bathroom and all you want is to make it better for her. Of course, this had to be the night that we took a trip to Toys R Us and traded the paci's in for a new toy. She did great yesterday, but today after she got sick I asked "What can mama do to make it better, baby?" She replied in the saddest lil voice "Paaaaaapaaaaaa" (Asking for her paci, of course). And if a 2 yr old could fake a stomach virus, I'd say she was, but I'm pretty sure that's not possible. Glad I saved a few back up pacis! Well, I'm going to post this before my sick princess wakes up. Pics of fun in the sun to come!